Devon Evans, Gleaner WriterOCHO RIOS:
SCORES OF angry residents from several communities in South West and North West St. Ann yesterday stormed the offices of Mayor of St. Ann's Bay, Delroy Giscombe, demanding payments for Christmas work.
The residents were expected to be paid yesterday, but after waiting for hours at the offices of the St. Ann Parish Council in St. Ann's Bay to collect their cheques, they were told by Council officials that no payments can be made.
Shortly after 2 p.m. the residents stormed into the Mayor's office, on the same building, hurling threats and abuses and demanding that they be paid immediately.
NOT PHYSICALLY HARMED
Mayor Giscombe, who is recovering from a recent illness, was not physically harmed but admitted to being shaken up when the crowd barged into his office.
In explaining the situation to the protesting residents, Mayor Giscombe said the SESP Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister should have released funds to the Parish Council to pay for Christmas work but that, to date, this has not been done.
He said payments for Northwest and Southwest St. Ann were scheduled for December 21 and those for Northeast and Southeast were scheduled for December 22.
Mayor Giscombe said he wants to make it clear that the Parish Council is not responsible for the delay in making the payments and is calling on the Minister of Local Government Portia Simpson Miller to intervene into the matter.
Up to late Tuesday afternoon, many residents were still at the Parish Council offices awaiting their pay.
